1. Field of the Invention
Many species of edible fish, both fresh water and salt water varieties, are attracted to smaller, specific varieties of fish and other aquatic life, such as frogs and crawfish, which are preferred as food. Particularly in the case of fresh water fish, the species of Bream, Crappie, Black Bass, and catfish, in non-exclusive particular, generally move into areas where the small fish and aquatic life of choice abound. Accordingly, the fisherman can greatly enhance his ability to take such game fish by fishing in areas frequented by the smaller fish and aquatic life.
This invention relates to devices for attracting fish, and more particularly, to a fish-attracting device which utilizes live bait fish or other aquatic life to attract game fish, and which can be positioned near a dock, beach, bank or boat and allowed to freely float, or float by means of a tether, in the vicinity of the user to attract such fish. The fish-attracting device of this invention is characterized by an inflated vehicle tire inner tube having a top and bottom disk closing the open space in the center of the tube, a downwardly extending elongated bait container support supported by the two disks and a bait container attached to the projecting and submerged end of the support. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the bait container is constructed of a transparent material such as plastic, and is provided with multiple holes to enclose minnows and other aquatic life, such as crawfish and frogs. A sealed, water-tight light housing is provided in cooperation with the submerged bait container in order to illuminate the aquatic life inside the bait container, and a similiar housing is provided on the top disk located above the water line and positioned on top of the top inner tube disk to illuminate the surface of the water in the immediate vicinity of the floating inner tube. In still another preferred embodiment of the invention the top light housing is fitted with a reflector to reflect the light in a desired direction and illuminate a specified area in order to spotlight the fisherman's cork or line when he is fishing near the inner tube. A pair of battery housings containing batteries for self-contained power, and cooperating light switches are also provided on the top disk for independently turning the upper and lower lights on and off, respectively.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices for attracting fish by means of light and/or the use of live bait are known in the prior art. An early patent disclosing such a device is U.S. Pat. No. 777,382, to V. Le Beau, which patent discloses a "Bait Holder and Fish Decoy" consisting of a generally cylindrically-shaped, transparent canister having multiple holes therein and suspended from a cork float, which float is, in turn, attached to a boat or dock. Bait fish are placed inside the canister and the canister is suspended beneath the water to attract fish. Another early fishing lure device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,038,866, to J. H. Fuller, et al. This "Fishing Device" includes a generally oblong-shaped, transparent lure having hooks mounted at various locations thereon and a hollow interior and openings to permit water to flow through the body of the device. One or more small bait fish are placed inside the fishing device in order to attract desired game fish. U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,721, to N. J. Smith discloses a "Lure Light", which includes a sealed container having a light bulb and appropriate wiring therein, in cooperation with an attached companion container having slots for the introduction of water. Bait fish are placed inside the companion container, and when the entire device is lowered into the water, the light in the sealed container illuminates the bait fish in the companion container to attract game fish. A similar "Fishing Lure" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,604, to A. L. Ewing. The fishing lure which is subject of this patent discloses a transparent container provided with bait fish and an accompanying sealed vessel having a light bulb and battery combination to illuminate the bait fish in the container when the apparatus is lowered into the water. Yet another light-and-container combination "Fish-Attracting Device" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,978, to F. L. Murdock. The device of this patent includes a sealed jar within a transparent container, the jar having a light bulb provided therein, and the container provided with holes to facilitate the placing of bait fish inside the container and the lowering of the entire apparatus in the water to attract game fish.
One of the problems realized in prior art fish attracting devices which are designed to illuminate bait fish located in a transparent container submerged beneath the surface of the water of a lake or stream, is the lack of facility in providing bait-container canisters or vessels of various design to attract various species of fish with the high degree of utility. Another shortcoming is lack of attention to surface lighting, which attracts flying insects and fish which feed on such insects, such lighting also providing a better opportunity of viewing the fisherman's cork or line to determine when the fish which have been lured to the device are taking the users bait.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved fish-attracting device which provides both surface and submerged attraction means, and in a most preferred embodiment, is characterized by a floating vehicle inner tube of selected size; a pair of disks attached to the top and bottom of the tube in order to seal the interior surface of the inner tube; a downwardly-extending bait container support attached to the disks at one end; and a bait container of specified design attached to the opposite end of the support for receiving bait; and separate lighting means for illuminating the submerged bait container and the surface of the water around the inner tube.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved fish-attracting device having both surface and submerged fish-attraction features, which device is characterized by a floating, inflated vehicle tire inner tube containing a submerged bait container and provided with a top light for illuminating the surface area of the water in the general vicinity of the inner tube during night fishing, and a submerged light in cooperation with the bait container for illuminating the bait in the container.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved fish-attracting device which is capable of being disposed in the general area of a beach, bank, boat dock or boat and is characterized by an inflated tire inner tube having a pair of disks on the top and bottom thereof to seal the opening in the center of the inner tube, and further provided with an upper light and electrical system positioned on the top disk for illuminating the water immdiately adjacent the inner tube for night fishing, and also including a submerged, transparent bait container carried by the inner tube disks and provided with a sealed lower light and a cooperating electrical system for illuminating bait in the container.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a self-contained, floating fish-attracting device having both surface and submerged fish-attraction features, which device can be deployed near a beach, bank, dock or boat, either in free-floating fashion, or by means of a tether, and which is characterized by an inflated, floating vehicle inner tube provided with top and bottom disks for sealing the center area of the inner tube, and a downwardly projecting, elongated bait container support carried by the disks at one end and supporting a submerged bait container shaped of clear plastic and provided with apertures for containing live aquatic bait, the bait container further provided with a submerged light means for illuminating the bait in the bait container and attracting fish beneath the surface of the water, and a second light means and reflector positioned above the surface of the water on the top disk to attract fish at the surface of the water and spotlight the cork or line of a fisherman.